Welcome to Year 2! This week we are settling in and learning about each other and the routines in our classroom. This is reflected in the work below. 

PSHCE

This week we want to learn all about you! What do you like? What is your favourite subject? What do you want to be when you grow up? What are the challenges that you wish to overcome? Choose one activity to complete daily. 

Read Write Inc. 

At Binfield Primary we follow the 'Read Write Inc.' scheme of work. It teaches children how to read and write through phonics. At the end of the first term in Year 2 we will be completing a Phonics Check with your children. This week we are playing games and spotting real and alien words. Please choose one of these games to play with your child daily. 

Maths 

This week we are exploring number in a practical way. Below are some fun ideas that you can do at home! 

Stories, Songs and Rhymes

• Share books with a specific reference to numbers or counting, shape or pattern.
• In picture books, count how many animals on the page, how many objects are blue, etc.
• Look for the shapes of objects or talk about their position in the picture.
• Sing songs and share rhymes that feature numbers and counting: search online for great examples and some help with the tunes and the singing!

Sand and Water

• Provide lots of different containers in the sandpit, water tray or bathtub. Talk about concepts such as heavy, light, full and empty.
• Look at how much a container will hold, and see if it still holds that amount if you pour it out and then in again. See if you can find two different shaped containers that hold the same amount.
• Make shapes and patterns with sandcastles or objects in the sand.
• Compare weight or capacity of different containers.
• Talk about the weight difference between wet and dry sand.

Imaginative Play

• Do the laundry together. Sorting clothes in different colours or types (e.g. shirts, trousers) will develop an understanding of shape, colour, and patterns. Pairing socks will start an understanding of shape matching and counting in twos.
• Ask your child to help set the table for the family or for a toy picnic. Talk about how many forks, spoons, cups, etc. you need, and count out the right amount.
• Play shops. Use pretend or real fruit, vegetables or other items and pretend to buy and sell. Great opportunities for counting and getting used to money.

Cooking

• Bake cakes together. Talk about the weight of flour, the volume of milk, number of eggs, the amount of time the cakes will bake for, how hot the oven will be.
• Use leftover pastry like playdough (see above) then bake your creations.
• Decorate cakes or biscuits in different patterns or with different shapes.
• Cut vegetables or fruit into different shapes.
• Make a pattern with different colours or shapes of fruit and vegetables.
• Count out how many potatoes, bread rolls, carrots, etc. you need to make a family meal.

In the Garden

• Count the petals on flowers and leaves on plants or leaflets onl eaves such as ferns.
• Look for patterns and spirals in things like seed heads and pinecones.
• Plant seeds and count how many holes/pots you need.
• Find shapes in nature. Go on a scavenger hunt and see how many different shapes you can find.
• Look for patterns on flowers, leaves, snail shells, butterflies, ladybirds, etc.

Day-to-day Routines

• Talk about the daily routine. Point out days on the calendar and times on the clock and use language such as today, tomorrow, yesterday, this morning, now, next, after that and so on. Refer to the days of the week and the idea of weekdays and weekends.
• Count whilst brushing teeth, or use a toothbrush timer.
• When tidying up, count the bricks back into the tub or the teddies back into the tub.

Outdoor Learning 

At Binfield we enjoy using our outdoor learning area. Please enjoy your outdoor space with these activities. 

Fine Motor Skills 

In Year 2 we are developing the muscles in our hands. How many of these activities can you complete on your own?